The Road to Sainthood: Mother Teresa's Miracles

Blessed Mother Teresa will be canonized by Pope Francis on September 4th. The path to sainthood requires two miracles; one proven miracle is required for beatification and one for canonization. The miracles attributed to Blessed Teresa of Kolkata occurred in 2002 and 2008.

In 2002, the Vatican recognized the first miracle: the healing of a tumor in the stomach of a woman in India, Monica Besra. After the application of a locket containing Mother Teresa's picture, Monica said that a beam of light came forth from it and healed her tumor. Mother Teresa was beatified by St. John Paul II in 2003 after this first miracle was verified.

The second miracle occurred in 2008 in Brazil. A man named Marcilio Andrino was miraculously healed from brain abscesses after prayers and intercession to Blessed Teresa by his wife and family. The miracle was officially recognized by the Church and announced by Pope Francis in December 2015. Marcilio’s ability to have children after his illness has been called a second miracle by the Missionaries of Charity, though it has not yet been verified.

Blessed Mother Teresa began the Missionaries of Charity in India in 1950 and there are now over 4,500 sisters. Mother Teresa is sometimes called the “Saint of the Gutter” because of her work with the poor in Calcutta. Before her death in 1997, she wrote “If I ever become a saint, I will surely be one of darkness. Rather than be in heaven, I will go out in the very dark nights to rescue people.”

May each of us experience the healing touch of the saints through our Lord Jesus and may we all join with Pope Francis in prayer and jubilation on the day Blessed Teresa is officially canonized Saint Teresa of Kolkata.